Quick facts
| Founded | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Country | UK (now produced in Slovakia) |
| Made by | Cloetta (Swedish confectionery group) |
| Dietary status | Contains gelatine, not vegetarian |
About Chewits
Chewits is a classic British chewy sweet brand launched in 1965, originally made in Southport before production moved to Slovakia under current owner Cloetta. The signature 30g pack of soft chewy fruit sticks has been a UK retro staple for decades, and the brand is now best known among UK shoppers who grew up with it in the 1980s and 1990s. Strawberry, Blackcurrant and Cola lead the UK range, alongside the limited-edition Fruit Salad and Xtreme Sour variants.
The 3 Chewits flavours we stock
Standard 30g individually wrapped sticks. Each pack contains roughly 8 to 10 small chewy squares.
| Flavour | Profile |
|---|---|
| Strawberry | The brand's signature flavour. Bold candy-shop strawberry, sweet rather than tart. Pink chewy squares |
| Blackcurrant | Deep blackcurrant flavour, slightly tart compared to Strawberry. The brand's second most-recognised flavour. Dark purple chewy squares |
| Cola | Cola-flavoured chewy squares, classic sweet-shop cola profile. Brown squares with a slight fizz on the tongue |
Ingredients and allergens
Representative ingredient list for Chewits Strawberry:
Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Palm Oil, Gelatine, Acid (Citric Acid), Concentrated Apple Juice, Flavouring, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Colours (Anthocyanins, Beetroot Red).
Allergen profile: contains gelatine (typically pork-derived in the standard Cloetta European recipe), so Chewits are not vegetarian, not vegan and not halal certified. Contains palm oil. May contain milk and soy from shared production lines. The newer reformulations have moved away from synthetic dyes toward fruit and vegetable concentrate colours (anthocyanins, beetroot red), which is a small clean-ingredient improvement. Always check the back of the individual pack for the most current dietary information. For vegetarian retro-sweet alternatives, look at Mike and Ike, Airheads or our wider retro sweets range.
Who Chewits is for
UK retro nostalgia buyers: the brand has been in continuous UK production since 1965. If you grew up with the Chewitsaurus TV ads, Chewits are a direct nostalgia purchase that delivers the same flavour profile decades later.
Soft chewy candy fans: the texture is softer than Laffy Taffy and chewier than typical British retail jelly sweets. Sits in its own texture category in the British sweets aisle.
Kids and lunchbox buyers: the 30g packs are right-sized for school packed lunches and party bags. Individually wrapped squares within the pack make for portion-controlled snacking.
Cross-shopping retro sweets: Chewits pairs naturally with our wider retro sweets range for shoppers building a nostalgia basket. Sits alongside classic British brands without overlapping their flavour profiles.
Buy Chewits online in the UK
All 3 Chewits flavours stocked. UK supermarket distribution is reasonable: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons and most convenience stores carry the headline Strawberry and Blackcurrant variants. The Cola variant is harder to find on supermarket shelves and tends to move through specialist retro sweet retailers. Build the basket past £20 to qualify for free UK delivery. A handful of Chewits packs plus a few other retro items takes you over the threshold comfortably. Orders placed before our daily cut-off are dispatched the same working day.
Chewits UK: frequently asked questions
Who makes Chewits?
Chewits is owned and manufactured by Cloetta, the Swedish confectionery group, with production in Slovakia. The brand was originally launched in 1965 by Trebor at their Southport factory in the north-west of England, then passed through Cadbury (1989) and Mondelez International (2010) before being acquired by Cloetta as part of their 2012 takeover of Leaf International. Cloetta consolidated production at their European facilities, which is why Chewits are now made in Slovakia rather than the UK.
Are Chewits vegetarian?
No. Chewits contain gelatine in the standard Cloetta recipe, which is typically pork-derived in European confectionery production. The brand is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. Vegetarian alternatives in the chewy candy category include Mike and Ike (modified corn starch base), Airheads (plant-based recipe) or Laffy Taffy (gelatine-free taffy), all of which are stocked here.
What was the Chewitsaurus?
The Chewitsaurus (sometimes called "the Muncher") was the brand mascot in Chewits TV ads through the 1980s and 1990s: a giant cartoon dinosaur monster who would rampage through cities in search of Chewits. Each ad ended with the catchphrase "Chewits, much chewier than..." followed by something improbable like a double-decker bus or the Eiffel Tower. The ads are part of UK retro confectionery memory and are why Chewits has remained a recognisable brand even decades after the campaign ended.
Where are Chewits made now?
Chewits are currently manufactured in Slovakia by Cloetta, the Swedish confectionery group that owns the brand. The original Southport factory in the UK closed when production was consolidated at Cloetta's European facilities. The recipe and packaging maintain the same UK-market branding (the Chewitsaurus mascot still appears on retro-themed packs), but the physical production happens at a Slovak facility. The bars are then distributed to UK retailers through standard wholesale channels.